Strip feeding device



STRIP FEEDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 19, 1955 INVENTORS ALERr n4 METZ/VER WML/,4M c. BoEscH United States Patent i 2,923,543 i STRIP FEEDING DEVICE Albert W. Metzner and William C. Boesch, Dayton, Ohio,` assignors to The Standard Register Company, Dayton,-

Gho, a corporation of Ohio ApplicationSeptember 19, 1955, Serial No. 535,195

r[his invention relates to strip feeding apparatus, and particularly to a rapid acting strip feeding dev1ce especially adapted for use 1n modern high speed printers` and electronic business machine equipment.

2,923,543 Patented Feb. 2, 1960 ice Fig'. 1 isa detail view Ain. sidev elevationV 'of' feeding device in accordance with the illustrated forni of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in plan of` a i'vecofdA Y' strip, showing the relationship of the feeding pins Yto the perforations of the strip which prevails in the 'position of the parts shown in Fig. l;

Printers and business machines of the kind described of therecord strip material which conventionally is acv complished by pin feeding devices engageable with marginal perforations in the strip. It is important to avoid any lag in the pick up of the strip at the Vstart of an increment of movement, as well as over-running ofthe strip at the end of each increment of movement, and

it is also important to maintain'the several superposed copies which comprise the record strip assemblyiii proper alignment to facilitate entrance and withdrawall ofthe feeding pins relatively to the strip perforations.

The object of the'- invention is to'sin'iplify the struction 'as well as the means and vmode of operation of strip feeding apparatus, whereby such apparatus may not only be economically manufactured, but will be more elicientV and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a widesvariety of applications, and be unlikely to' get out of repair. y .1

1t isa further object ofthe invention to pesent a strip feeding apparatus better adapted than any heretofore known for efficient and reliable high speed operation. f yAnother ob"ct of the invention is substantially to obviate slipping of the strip in the high frequency starting and stopping of a record strip or the like.A`

A further object of the invention is to obtain close controlbf the feeding and aligning of manifold record strip material through the` use of plural pin feeding devices `operating in a complementary out of phase relationship toone another. 'Y v A still further object of, he' invention is to present an improved form of escalator type feeding device for Ause in highl speedstrip feedin'gzapparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strip feedingapparatus possessing the advantageous` structural features, the inherent` meritorious `characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other inciden-tal Vobjects in view as will more fully appear in the specification,

i the'invention intended to be'y protected by Letters Patent 'consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents. Y Referring to the accompanying drawing'wherein is shown one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

con-

' plane.l Integrally'formedwith. or otherwise secured to Y l pathof'the revolving feeding pins; Y

tion of the parts shown` in Fig.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in front elevation of the` ,stripy v feeding device of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a view in cross section,

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the strip feeding device of Fig. l, showing the parts in anotherpositionnof ad? justment or operation;'and

Fig. V6 iis a `detail view like Fig. 2, showing the and' a parallel tie rod 11 mount a plate 12 which through an Iadjustable mounting sleeve vassembly 13 may-.be set in'selected positions along the lengths of the-shaftslt) and' 11.. The plate 12 has laterally spacedapart 4stub i shafts 14 and 15fse't thereinwliichprovide.rotary bearingmo'untsjfor respective'pin wheel assemblies 16 and 17,.1 The latter, whichare .thusffreelylotatable on-their respective mounts 14 and 15'are"of'anescalator pin type heretofore known. Thus,v each comprisesa pair of parallel spaced apart discs 18 and 1 9, the for/mer'being concentric onV its stub shaft mounting andythe latter being eccentric thereto. VDisc 19 is mounted `,for frotation on anchorplate 20, which plate is` held against rotation by `engagerrienlof lug 20 with. 'talile .23.,Y Disposed betweenV the ldiscs 18 and 19, "in, rotary series formation, are links 21 pivotally connected at-'their' one ends to the disc 18 and similarly connected at their 4op,-

posite ends to the disc 19, the separate end connections with respect to 'each link ybeing in a common horizontal each link 21 is an upright'pin '22. vThe construction and arrangement of parts is. such that rotation of the pin feed yor pin wheel assemblyabout the stub shaft mounting causes the links'v''lfwith their pins 22t0irevolve about the stub shaft mountingA and VVduring ,a part of such motion the pins 22 project above the peripheries of thegcarrying discs 18 and 19. The respective devices 16 and 17 are so arranged that the circumferential area.

of projection ,ofthe pins 22 is thesame for bothfeeding devices. The'supporting plate 12 at its ,upper en d isfformed with a turned over table V23l in ,which arelon- "gitudinally spaced apart respective openings 24 and Y25 `through which the pins ofthe respective devices project. Y

-A's indicated in Fig. la strip 26 extends in overlying 'Citin- -tacting relation tothe table 23 and marginal perforations i 27 therein are engaged by the pins 22 withthe result" that 'the strip 26 is carried forwarder advanced overfthe table 23 in response to rotation of the pin feeding devices 16 and 17. A holddown member 28 is pivotally mounted on the plate 12 and serves to hold the. strip upon the table 23 in position to be engaged by thefieetl- -f mgpins, it being understood that the-strip is positioned with lthe perforations 2 7 therein` in line. withfor vinjthle taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, with some parts omitted;

A gear'Z'Q "is sutblysecuredf'tothe'outer face of S disc 18 of feeding device.16l, Alike gear 31g`is secured to-the .outentaceof the;-

` i result; rotation of the shaft .10 effects ai corre'spind#i"` inglan'd synchrnouslrotation of the gears?? "andgli,y

lhe`fe`eding devices 16 and 17 are, as before tno-ted, identicalin their construction. lEach, inthe illustrated instantie; comprises six equally Vspacedjapa'rt feeding` pins122,` `.In accordance with the instant invention; howi ever, the respective feeding devices arefrotatably roiset vyithespeet. to Yone'anothei. Thus; correspondin'g'pins qrith i'espectiveV devi'cesmay. be said to beA inleading or'ffollowingrelation Vwith" respect` to; one ,another.', In!

Eig. 1,:for example, the device.1'7v is pofsitionedwith a'sin-YN I;

thereforebesaid to engage the strip in alternating Vre andjtheir respective pin 'feed devices mi"control over vthe movements c ofpthestrip thereby is;

A obtained comparable `to what mightbe lachieved .Wereowt V.the number of perforations in a given area doubled and the number of feeding pins in afeeding device correspondingly doubled, both of which concepts are impraetical as rotary pin feeding practices are now understood.` The Villustratedvfeed,` apparatus may be said to control the strip to within .0062 of an inch. Thus, from their., fore and back: edges the `pins measure .650 of an inch. The fore vand rearuedgesv of the perforations in the strip `measure .6562, allnnf` these being measurements of a conventional` Vfeeding mechanism, as may be used in a"`buls`iness-machinefof' the like to advance a strip 26 over a platen for the imprintingfof `,data thereon.`

Fromtheabove descriptionit will be Aapparent that there .is thus provided a device of thecharacter described ppssessting. then particularmffeatures of advantage before enumerated as deirable, lb'nt" wlich;` obviously isV suscep-` ftihlejof modilication in its forni, proportions, 4detail econ-` struction andrarrangement of'parts without departing from the principleinvolved `or sacriiicingany of its ad-` vantagesl.

lationA to'one anothenV .Av slight additional rotation of thefeeding devices will `serve toplace the device 16 inthe` position shownoccupied by device 17 VAin Fig.'1, andvice versa. 1

IIn frelation to' the perforations 27 -in the` strip,` 'as shown in,Fig. 2, the single extended pin in the device .21 inFig. 1`is seenfto .be in full'driving"`,en`gagement with the` fore edge of `theperforation27 receiving such pin.,'In :the case `of device 16 atthi's sameV time, the righthandifone of thepairfrextended.'pins continues ','While in 'order `tocomply'with the `statute theinventionhas been described in 'language more or Aless spe-l ciiicas .to structural'features, `it `is tobe understood that the invention is not limited tothe specific features shown,` but that the .means/and construction herein disclosed comprise but `one Vof. several modes of pntting the inven` and valid Vscope of the. appended claims.`

tion intoeifectpanfd the inventionis therefore 4claimed in any iof its 'forms `or modifications within the legitimate Having thus described our invention, `we claim:

A '.1. Stripifeed mechanism forY feeding and aligning strip i to be Yin engagement .with the, fore Aedge Yof lits perforation and ,ineiectjremains' jin 4.driving engagement .with the str ipalthongh it isatLthis-tiin'e `retracting therefrom` ',Ifhe'leftjhandone ofthe pair of extended pins is )ust` rising into itsgperforaton and engagesorsubstantially` Yengages,` 'tl1erearV edge thereof. The-feeding device 16 is thus ina `sense in locking f en'gagernentwith .the stripinthat 1`the strip substantially fis precluded.. from orward`-and'-rgearward relative movementff. Should the motionnof thestrip stop `at this moment, therefore, yno

appreciable? slipping orjslidingY of the strip; will ,result the shaft, one of Ieach pairof discmembersbe'ing an ecrand when Y the .feeding` devicesrefstart the strip .will be i p iCkedupand moved smoothly without lost'motion. The partsk Vare shown in Figs. 5` and6 moved slightly beyond tliepositionsshown in Figs. 1V 4and 2 where''it ernaybeseenlthattheright. hand one ofthe pair of` extendedfpms; 1n thedevicef16 khas dropped..out of en-` gagem'ent" with the "stripfwhile theleft hand `one of i snehpair has risen further and is .about `to engage'A the fore edge of its perforation to effect Ypositive feedf ing of the strip. AInthe device 17, the single extended pim' previously, responsible Vfor the feeding impulse,`

is.` beginning to retract from the Vstrip'anl la succeeding pin 1s nsmgto'take its place. `.This pin, as may -be seen,

Vber sthe strip` support member having arpair` of opensoV is frising centra1lyand concentrically in its perforation.

"Dueto the fact that' `thestrip is fconstantly aligned -a 'perforation opening to receive it and there is1ittle 6r no likelihood of misalignment and consequentmisoperation. f

In conventional strip Afeeds'of the kkind with which fedg `Pl'lrs responsible for imparting to thegstrip an` apart'discfmembers"rotatablymounted upon each of the shafts, one of each'pair of discvmernbers beinga concentric -disc ymember as the disc` member is concentrlc with 4centric Vdiscinreruber'f as the disc :member `is eccentric with the, shaft, Y a plurality of link members connected `between ahpairgofdiscmembers, each link member lhaying one endy thereof pivotally connected `toV an eccentric ,d isc memf ber and rtheother'end, vthereof. pivotally .connected to a cencentriefdisc memben'jthe .link membersxwhich. con-` nect," between a.fpai r ofdisc'rrnembers beingsubstantial-` 1y,` parallel, *a plurality o'f pin members, there, being one pin .member rigidly .connected to eachV link member in'- termediate theends thereof, all of the pin members exf tendin'giin, substantiallythesame directionfrom the Vlink members, lgear means connected to' each concentric disc member` and joining therconcentric disc members"` one to the other Asothatitherejs simultaneous -rotation of .the

twojpairs of dis'cgmembers inthe-same direction of rotation, la strip support member adjacent the` disemem- Aingsthereiri'over which tliefstrip'lies,` there being `one Vopening adjacent each 'pain of disc .memberslso that pin `n iemlpers .of each o f thepa'irs of discrnembers are mov- .ablethrough the'` opening and-.movable into perforations .'fvthelstrip vandthns` are'indrivinglpositin `with 'respect t to the strip, thelink memberswandpinmembers being "soedisposedxfa'th respect to disc members` thatatyle'ast one ,pinlmernber of each pairfof disc rinembers` is always .disposed driving -:position with respect to i the vistrip,-

2.Apparatus for feeding strip materialfwhich'is `pro- .videdwith SPced perforations comprising a plurality of lincrement.ofniovementn `less than.Y onehalf :inchand `is A i asslsted 1n lts-feedinguandaligning funetions;hy.:frnother` pin or pins Vin complementary Vrelation thereto. A close tandemlyspaced-apart ffeed` devices, eachof the `feed `devices being ofthe `type havingashaft, a pairofqdisc `met,fibersrotatably carried ,upon the shaft; one .of the` disc ,.membersg beingeccentric with"` respect tothe shaft,` `the n other disc member beingzconcentricwith respect .to the shaft, a plurality of link `members extending between the i l l l dise members, one end of each link member being piv otally attached to one of the disc members, all of the link members being substantially parallel, a plurality of pin members, there being a pin member iirmly attached to each of the link members, all of the pin members being substantially parallel and extending in the same direction from the link members, the combination also including strip support structure, the pin members of the feed devices being extendible into perforations of the strip, means connecting the feed devices together so that there is simultaneous rotation thereof for moving the strip with respect to the strip support structure, so that there is always at least one of the pin members of each feed device within a perforation of the strip.

3. A device for movement of a strip of material provided with a series of apertures therethrough, comprising support structure, the support structure having a surface over which the strip of material is movable, a plurality of tandemly spaced-apart feed devices, each of the feed devices being of the type having a pair of rotatable disc members carried by the support structure, one of the disc members being a concentric disc member as it is rotatable about its center, the other disc member being an eccentric disc member as it is rotatable about an axis nonconcentric with the center thereof, a plurality of links connecting one disc member to the other disc member with the links extending between the disc members and being pivotally attached to both of the disc members, a plurality of pin members, there being one pin member attached to each of the links and extending therefrom, the support structure having a pair of openings, there being one opening adjacent each of the feed devices through which the pin members thereof are movable during rotation of the feed devices, the pin members being movable into apertures of the strip of material, and means connecting the concentric disc members of the feed devices one to the other so that the feed devices rotate one with the other to move the paper along the support structure as the pin members engage the strlp of material within the apertures thereof, and s0 that there is always at least one of the pin members of each feed device within an aperture of the strip.

4. Apparatus for feeding and aligning strip material having a series of perforations therein comprising a pair of tandemly spaced-apart rotary feeding devices, each of the feeding devices being of the type having a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel discs, the discs being similar in size, the discs being offset one with respect to the other, one disc having an axis of rotation concentric therewith and the other disc has an axis of rotation eccentric therewith, a plurality of links extending between each pair of discs, each link being pivotally attached to each disc, a plurality of pins, there being a pin carried by each link and extending therefrom, all of the pins being parallel, the combination also including support structure provided with a surface having openings therethrough adjacent the feeding devices, the strip of material resting upon the support surface and having portions disposed over said openings, the pins of the feeding devices being movable through the openings and through the perforations, means connecting the feeding devices one to the other rotating the feeding devices in synchronism so that there is always at least one pin of each feeding device extending through a perforation of the strip, the feeding devices being rotatable so that two pins of one feeding device extend through perforations of the strip while one pin of the other feeding device extends through a perforation of the strip.

5. Apparatus for feeding and aligning strip material havinga series of perforations therein comprising a pair of tandemly spaced-apart rotary feeding devices, each of the feeding devices being vof the type having a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel discs, the discs being similar in size, the discs being offset one with respect to the other, one disc having an axis of rotation concentric therewith and the other disc having an axis of rotation eccentric therewith, a plurality of links extending between each pair of discs, each link being pivotally attached to each disc, a plurality of pins, there being a pin carried by each link and extending therefrom, al1 of the pins being parallel, the combination also including support structure provided with a surface having openings therethrough adjacent the feeding devices, the strip of material resting upon the support surface and having portions disposed over said openings, the pins of the feeding devices being movable through the openings and through the perforations, gear means engaging both of the feeding devices rotating the feeding devices in synchronism so that there is always at least one pin of each feeding device extending through a perforation of the strip, the feeding devices being rotatable so that two pins of one feeding device extend through perforations of the strip while one pin of the other feeding device extends through a perforation of the strip.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,306 Nichols Ian. 27, 1942 2,554,827 Helsel May 29, 1951 2,795,417 Howard June 11, 1957 2,809,829 Turner Oct. 15, 1957 

